Even though we can’t give Apple’s iPhone credit for being the first
telephone with a touch-screen or even for being the first smart cell phone –
IBM’s Simon was the first in 1994 – the iPhone has undoubtedly played a
significant role popularizing the technology. Ever since 2007, Apple has
continually upgraded both its software and hardware, always trying to make the
iPhone better.
How did Jobs come up with the idea?
We all know about the competition between Microsoft and Apple, and the first
iPhone was created as a result of it. One of the employees at Microsoft told
Steve Jobs about a plan to make a tablet computer which would use a stylus.
Irritated by the idea, Jobs decided to create Apple’s version instead. In the
process, the designers concluded that the device could become smaller, lastly
becoming a smartphone. Apple finally released the iPhone in 2007 while putting
aside the vision of making a tablet. The first tablet they did make was the
iPad, and it was released in 2010.
Introducing applications and the App Store:
Before the introduction of smartphones, the idea that a phone could handle
different tasks was almost science fiction. So much that Stephen Colbert made
fun of it on one of his shows. He said that Apple could forget about him as a
customer until he gets a free iPhone. However, we need to mention that on the
first iPhone, you weren’t able to download new applications. Instead, you could
only use the ones that had initially been installed on it. It contained a few
apps such are Calendar, Safari, and Calculator. Then, in 2008, Apple managed to
make a revolution by introducing the App Store. In the beginning, the App Store
contained just 552 apps, but in 2013 they passed the one million mark.
Yearly upgrades:
Apple has been releasing one or more models yearly since the first model came
out. As the iPhone developed through various edition, the developers improved
the processor, expanded the phone’s storage and enlarged the screen. Besides,
Apple is constantly releasing new versions of the operating systems that can
work even on some of the older phone models. Some of the well-known features
such as Siri and iCloud synchronization came with the system updates.
Furthermore, Apple releases a couple of patches annually to repair various
software bugs and patch security issues.
Display evolution:
The main difference between Android phones and iPhones is the screen size.
Android smartphones have changed their screen size over the years, while the
iPhone maintained their 3.5-inch screen until the release of iPhone 4s. Apple
increased the screen size on iPhone 5, making it a 4-inch display, with the
idea of adding another row of icons. This screen size was kept until the iPhone
6 and 6 Plus were made available in 2014. The iPhone 6 comes with a 4.7-inch display, and the iPhone 6
Plus has a large 5.5-inch screen, which makes it more of a tablet than a phone.
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